Merci and Thank You For Your Condolences

In a few minutes I’ll start to pack for our trip to Paris.  It isn’t going to be our usual kind of visit.  There is no jumping up and down in excitement.  There will be no planning on what sights we will be seeing or which restaurants we will be dining at.

We will not be driving randomly around Paris at strange hours of the late nights into early mornings.

It will be a different kind of trip. We will be giving our farewells to Bonaparte’s aunt, Danièle.

Before I start to stuff more than what I probably need into my carry-on, I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you.

Thank you to all my blogger friends and friends who read the blog for your condolences and kind and loving thoughts.   This little community we have is a true family and I so much appreciate all your words. Bonaparte is also very touched.

I will leave and I will report back in a few days of our celebration of life!

Hugs, kisses and many, many thanks! XOXOXO!

Posted in Uncategorized | 19 Comments

Rest In Peace Ma Gigi. Remembering Danièle Delorme

It’s funny how signals and messages are sent. Saturday morning Bonaparte and I made our regularly timed call to his aunt, Danièle. She didn’t answer her phone and we figured she was out and about. Even though it was early we chalked it up to “That’s’ Danièle”! We would call her Sunday instead.

Saturday evening, after dinner, we decided to watch a couple of movies.  We checked our queue on Hulu and decided on two movies, “Les Grandes Maneuvres” a light and silly French film about soldiers, pre-WWI, getting their sexy on, and Fellini’s “8 1/2”.  Bonaparte wanted to watch the French film because Danièle’s husband, Yves Robert had a decent role in the film. “Les Grandes Maneuvres” also starred Gérard Philipe, who happened to be Danièle’s first teen-aged love.

Yves and Gerard

How ironic that during her last evening we would be watching a movie that starred her first love, Girard Philipe, and her husband and last love, Yves Robert! (Philipe front and center with open mouth, Robert looking sternly at him)

The movie, silly enough, had a scene with both Philipe and Robert in the same frame.  I mentioned to Bonaparte that it was so odd to see both Danièle’s first and last loves together.  That was at around 11:00 PM our time.  It was 5:00 AM Paris time. Shortly thereafter, we watched “8 1/2” for a short time because I fell asleep.

Sunday afternoon, Bonaparte left the house to go to the grocery store. It was when he was gone that we received the news that Danièle was no longer with us.  To the French, Danièle  Delorme was a beloved actress.  To Bonaparte, she was a loving aunt and a second mother.  She was my French mother and a wonder friend and confidante.

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Her “autobiography” “Demain, tout commence”. It’s her favorite saying. “Tomorrow everything starts”.  Her grandson, Hugo Gelin has titled his upcoming film the same in her honor!

We lost a wonderful woman that day. I’m not what you would call “close” with many people. Other than my children and Bonaparte, I am somewhat of a loner.  I share a close bond with relatives and with good friends, but it’s hard to open up.  Over the years, I’ve shut myself off from many people.

Except Danièle.

Daniele as a blonde

She looks fabulous as a blonde. She went for this look in the mid-60’s!

She was dramatic—which explains why she was such a great actress! She was fun and animated. She was feisty and a shrewd business woman.

The ORIGINAL GIgi

Daniele Delorme, NOT Leslie Caron was the original Gigi. When I asked Daniele if she was upset about the film version with Caron, Daniele just shrugged–she never wanted to do Hollywood films. She loved staying in France!

Poster for Chaque jour a son secret

She starred with quite the number of leading men–among them Jean Cocteau’s partner, Jean Marais. Daniele said he was such a nice and quiet man.

Daniele and yves

An early publicity pose with her husband Yves Robert

Madame Le Proviseur

And from the French TV show–Madame Le Proviseur. THIS show was a riot–she played a principal of a high school–and she SMOKED in her office!!!

Today, I just want to write some really great stuff that I remember about her. OK?

The first time I met her was actually in the street outside of her office.  We stopped by to pick up the keys to her apartment as we had just arrived in France from our overnight flight and needed some serious rest.

Paris. Daniele's bulletin board at her office!

Her office at Zazi Films was filled with tons of memorabilia. It was fun to just look through all the treasures!

She welcomed me ant turned to Bonaparte in surprise as she exclaimed “Oh. She’s very pretty!” (Was she expecting a cyclops?)  After a period of rest and a stroll around the neighborhood, we returned back at 55 quai des Grands Augustins to the apartment. THIS time, the door opened and the strong scent of cigarettes blended with Guerlain’s “L’heure Bleue” perfume greeted me.  Attached to this magnificent mix of scents was Danièle, clothed from head to toe in Sonia Rykiel, wearing a smile from cheek to cheek. She grabbed me and planted a kiss on each side of my face, then hugged me and gave me what was most likely the greatest and most aggressive welcome I’ve ever received in my life!  And her personality was just that—larger than life!

lheure-bleue1vohd

L’heure Bleue and cigs–I KNOW–the combo sounds disgusting but it really wasn’t that bad. Those two scents will ALWAYS remind me of Daniele!

From that moment on I knew we would have a close relationship.

Over the years she has been generous to a fault to me. She has followed the college education and careers of Jake, Roman and Oona and has always taken a great interest in my children.

I will miss the way she would have the dinner table set so beautifully hours before it was time to sit down to enjoy our incredibly long meals of wonderful food, great wine and even greater conversation.

La Table

The table in the little yellow dining nook off the yellow galley kitchen was always set so nicely.  It’s because of Daniele that I’ve become obsessive about my own table looking special!

I will miss our morning routine of petit jejeûner in her chambre.  Danièle in bed; propped up with her many pillows. I would wheel her tray of freshly brewed tea and fresh croissant to her. I would sit at the opposite end of her bed. Bonaparte would sit at her desk by the window overlooking the courtyard. We would discuss the day’s plans and decide what we would be doing for dinner. Our morning conversations were always happy ones.

Paris. View from Daniele's window

Our morning views could include any number of surprises–like the workers across the courtyard constructing another floor to the apartment building!

I will miss walking over to Place Dauphine to get her car—the little one with the dents and that same scent of cigarettes and L’heure Bleue, and driving back to the apartment to pick her up and drive her to either her office or to run errands.

I will miss our little glasses of Porto together. It was our time—pre aperitif when we would both send Bonaparte down to Rue Bucci to get a couple of baguettes—to enjoy each other’s girly company and laugh over partaking in the wine that Bonaparte could not stand!

Me and Daniele after too much to drink

I swear to God. This photo was taken after a few glasses of Porto–neither of us are lookin’ that swell here!  But we had fun together!

I will miss our Sunday lunches at Paparotti in Issey-les-Moulineaux.  On a sunny, warm late spring day, dining al fresco was a fun treat. I will miss our slow dinners at Chez Paul on Place Dauphine and our easy meals at Bistro St. Andre—a familiar place where everyone was family!

Paris. Papa Roti sign Issye.

We had many great lunches at Paparotti..and that wasn’t counting the food!

I will miss how gracious she was whenever anyone recognized her. She would always take the time to stop and chat with those who remembered her from her many films.  One time we were at Maintenon and stopped at a café for lunch. The waitress recognized Danièle and had her autograph a menu.  A few minutes later the waitress’ father appeared at the restaurant and started a very animated conversation with her.  It was the funniest thing to me because they were talking as if they were old friends. It was a blast!

I will miss her funny and animated stories about Jean Gabin, Jean Marais, Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, Charles Aznavour and Brigitte Bardot—and all of the guests she and Yves entertained at their estate outside of Paris.

I will miss her dramatic tellings of both sad and chilling stories her life during WWII. She was actually arrested by the Gestapo but escaped!!

I will miss our shopping trips—especially the ones to the Guerlain boutique where she gave me the opportunity to feel like Cinderella!

But mostly, I will just miss HER!   To me—she was just Danièle.  And I love her so much!

Me antoine daniele in paris 2010

Me, Antoine Bourseiller, a great friend of Daniele’s, and Daniele causing all kinds of rambunctious trouble on Pont Neuf a few years back!

I’ll miss the little field trips Bonaparte, Daniele and I went on–like the trips to Giverny and the Fondation Louis Vuitton this past summer!

Paris. Fondation LV. Daniele and Vincent!

A fun afternoon at the Fondation Louis Vuitton…..

Giverny. Vincent and Daniele relaxing under the trees.

..and a relaxing day at Giverny will always bring great memories of her!

Here’s to  Danièle Delorme!

daniele-delorme-wallpaper_2131_45375

Miquette et sa Mere

You were a shining star during your time on earth and gave pleasure to those who knew and loved you and to those who only knew you through your films.  You are still a shining star. But now, I can look up to the sky and spot the first twinkling star of the evening and know that it is you winking down on Bonaparte and me!

I know you are one of those twinkling stars Daniele! I see you!!!

In honor of the fun times we had sneaking Porto. “Oh Oh Cherie” Francoise Hardy!

Posted in Death of a great French Actress. Daniele Delorme, France, Paris. French Actress | Tagged , , , | 32 Comments

A Dreamy, Ethereal Sunday Morning With Federico Fellini!

Its’ past noon on this chilly Sunday.  Gone are the summer Sundays of jumping out of bed early and driving to the Shore or parts unknown to explore.  Gone are the lazy summer Sunday mornings of sipping coffee and catching the sun’s rays on the deck.

laiguille-morning-at-the-beach

Spending a Sunday morning like this is packed away till next year!

No. On this Sunday morning, dreams came to life in the form of two films.

Federico Fellini’s “8 1/2” and his beautiful coming-of-age story “Amarcord”.

poster

Oscar Winning film “8 1/2”—the title comes from the 8 1/2 films that Fellini made.

Amarcord poster

“Amarcord”, memories loosely based on Felinni’s coming-of-age!

“8 1/2” is like watching a dream come to life.  It brings memories of dreams you can remember.

It’s odd–last night I had a vivid dream. It was so clear. My oldest son, Jake, was about 12 years old. In this dream, something happened with friends getting into some sort of trouble and he was upset.  In my dream, I held him and comforted him.  I could actually feel the warmth of his breath and the scent of his hair. It was the sort of dream that stays with you long after you wake up.  And you continue to remember that dream at various points in your life.

Boston Fan

Visions of my grown son at this age were so crystal-clear in my dream!

That’s the kind of film that “8 1/2” is. In a nutshell without spoilers, Marcello Mastroianni, plays the role of Guido Anselmi, a film director, loosely based on Federico Fellini. He’s having a mental block, so to speak, in getting his latest film, a science fiction one, off the ground.

Even though Fellini looks nothing like Mastroianni, he was a perfect fit for the role! He’s such a great actor–and so handsome too!

The film is a visual delight of dreams. Some visuals grotesque and vulgar.

Eddra Gale

Eddra Gale as the grotesquely stunning Saraghina, whom the priests dub as “the devil”. She moves her body with sensuality and does a mean rumba!

puttling on slut makeup

Guido Anselmi, commanding his mistress, Carla, played by Sandra Milo, to put more slut makeup on. Who doesn’t love a film like this? I think Divine got the idea for his eyebrows from this film!

And some absolutely ethereal and beautiful. All shot in black and white, which gives the film more impact.

Cardinale

Claudia Cardinale is so drop-dead beautiful in this film. I want to look like her and do my hair and makeup like hers. The feathers on her outfit float so gracefully!

What are shown throughout the film are his relationships with the women in his life, his conflict with Catholicism and his career.

Annouk ani

Anouk Aimee, who plays Luisa, Guido’s wife, and Carla, his mistress in a scene from the film.

Simple enough—but it can be confusing because there is just so much going on—just like dreams flitting from one scene to another.  It’s funny and sad and touching at the same time.  The film really has all the elements of the films that play in your own mind during a deep slumber.   Especially the scenes from the Spa and the scene of a parade of clowns.  It really is an incredible movie.

spa

Spa scenes such as this, and with a cigarette no less, are shot in such a way that it doesn’t look real.  It really seems as though you entered Fellini’s mind while he was sleeping and dreaming.

Fellini clowns

This parade is actually one of my favorite scenes from the movie.

New York Times Review of “8 1/2”     Click on the link to the left for a review of this movie. It probably explains it a lot better than I can!

Next up…Bonaparte had to leave to see a client so Chippy and I sat back as I revisited another Fellini film I hadn’t watched since the late 1970’s.  “Amarcord”—which, translated is “I remember”.  The film is another mix of comedy and drama as it tells the semi-autobiographical exploits of Fellini’s late teen years as a schoolboy in Italy.

Amarcord poster

This poster is a great visual for the film–all the characters are neatly tied into this illustration!

New York Times Review of “Amarcord”  Another review that’ll tell it better than I can!

Titta Biondi, played by Bruno Zanin, can be compared to Francois Truffaut’s Antoine Doinel.

Titta Biondi

Bruno Zanin, playing Titta Biondi, is a delinquent according to his father and a dirty sinner, according to the priest at the confessional. But–he’s just a normal teenager during the 1930’s growing up in Italy!

Perhaps it’s because Fellini appreciated a large ass on a woman that endears me to him. I know he would have appreciated mine!

picking up the woman

I won’t elaborate, but this is one funny scene–and this woman’s ass and other assets play a major role!

But seriously, it’s fun to see a film where women are so revered in their physical beings—and it isn’t about beauty either.  Many of the women of his films are not story-book beautiful-but they are unique in their individuality.

From the untouchable Gradisca, played by Magali Noel to the overly-endowed Tobacconist played by Maria Antonietta Beluzzi.

Graciana Amacord

The “Garbo-esque” Gradisca, who longs for love is the woman that Titta fantasizes about.

Maria Antonetta beluzzi and Titto

Titta gets a true gift from “The Tobacconist” played by Maria Antonietta Beluzzi!

Town slut

Her face may be longer, but I’m reminded of Amy Poehler with this character of Volpina–the town slut!

He also loved life.  Laugh out loud moments come in the form of classroom scenes and confessional scenes.

Another incredibly funny moment is the scene when the family takes Titta’s crazy uncle, Teo, from the “hospital” he resides in, for a day of fresh air and fun at a farm in the country.  Left alone with Titta’s grandfather, Teo makes his way up a tree for hours screaming “Voglio una donna”, “I want a woman”.

Amarcord crazy uncle in tree

This is funny–but what’s even funnier is HOW he gets down from the tree–no spoilers here!

The family dinner scene was another one that had me cracking up!

Dinner scene

This dinner scene had me laughing so hard that Chippy started barking!

Despite the hilariously funny scenes, there are moments of very subtle political unrest. This was during the 1930’s when Fascism reared it’s ugly little head.

Amarcord - [fashists

The moments like this were short, but left an impact about what the Italians were faced with in their politics.

There are also sad scenes which start when Miranda, Titta’s mother, is hospitalized. A  film that can make you laugh, cry and sigh with melancholy is a special one. That’s what’s so special about Amarcord. It brings emotions to the surface and makes you remember past moments in your own life that can bring a smile or a tear to you.

AMARCORD_numbskulls in window

Schoolboys’ faces pressed against a window brings a smile!

amarcord1

And we cannot forget the narrator–known as “The Lawyer”. Every town has one of these guys–an expert on everything!

Watching the films also inspired me to give myself  some “8 1/2” eye makeup!

8-5

I’m obsessed with this makeup. Obsessed I tell you!

Fellini eyes

I tried to do my eyes the same way, but mine are too wrinkly. Dammit. Oh well, I tried!

What better way than to spend a Sunday afternoon then to play around with cosmetics after spending the morning watching Fellini films with my Chippy!

Chippy my movie buddy

My intellectual canine buddy, Chippy. He’s deep in thought pondering the films we just watched!

Take a weekend day to stay home. Forget the chores and the “stuff” that needs to be done—you’ll get around to it. Enjoy life in the form of a film..and make sure it is one that will tug at your heartstrings and turn the corners of your mouth into a huge smile!

Oh…before I forget. Bonaparte’s cousin is directing a film with Omar Sy–remember him from “The Intouchables”?  Well, this film is titled “Demain tout Commence”. It’s in production now and should prove to be a heartwarming and touching film.  Here’s a photo that Julien Panie snapped.

Demain Tout Commence

Filming in London now. I sure hope this film makes it’s way to the USA!

 Today, I bring you the ethereal Theme music by Nino Rota from Felinni’s “Amarcord”. It’s very dreamy and smooth and makes you want to go about your day in slow motion!

Posted in "8 12" "Amarcord" Hugo Gelin, Julien Panie. Demain tout Commence. French film. Omar Sy, Nino Rota | Tagged | 12 Comments

Just Because I Disagree With You Doesn’t Mean I’m a “Hater”! Use a Different Word for Crissakes!

We need to have a little lesson today about vocabulary.   Vocabulary is a body of words that we use.

Vocabulary Puzzles 1

Yes. I am afraid we need to take MANY steps back to learn and to use and to appreciate basic vocabulary!

As a young student “Vocabulary” was a little branch of the subject of “English”.  We would receive weekly lists of vocabulary words to memorize.  We would also have to put these words into sentences.  To this day, my all-time favorite word is “sanguine”.

Meaning:

Sanguine

I don’t know why–but “sanguine” remains one of my favorite words of all time.

 Usage in a sentence:  She looked down at the  wet, sanguine stream flowing down from her neck after the sanguine child vampire bit her and thought, in her most sanguine way, that she wouldn’t have to worry about aging anymore!

Little Vampire

Note the sanguine tie and ribbon on the vampire cape I made for my little sanguine vampire. Check out that sanguine expression on Roman’s face!

Another favorite vocabulary word  was “pithy”.

Pithy

“Pithy”–not pity, is another fun word!

This word presently brings to mind an incredibly vulgar and unprofessional woman with whom I worked with in healthcare.  She was a bully and highly impressed with herself.  Trust me, there was a large amount of her body to be impressed with.  With her overly bleached locks, poorly applied cosmetics and ample size making way throughout the office, she resembled Miss Piggy.   THAT assessment is a “pithy” one.

Muppet character Miss Piggy poses during a photocall promoting the movie 'The Muppets' in Berlin January 18, 2012. REUTERS/Thomas Peter (GERMANY - Tags: ENTERTAINMENT HEADSHOT) - RTR2WG5J

My apologies to you Miss Piggy, but an ex-coworker truly DOES resemble you. Don’t worry, YOU are the good-looking version Piggy!

Words can be used in a most creative way—as long as they are the proper words to use.

Lately, I’m extremely confused about modern-day vocabulary.  There is one word in particular that is driving me up the wall. That word is “Hater”!

Not only is it a ridiculous word, but it is misused and it is overused in the wrong ways.

Here’s an example—I love Bernie Sanders. Honestly, Bernie and Hil—I adore them both.  However, I don’t agree with Sanders on gun control. His views aren’t strict enough. Because I simply did not agree with this view, I was called a “hater” by someone.

Are you fucking kidding me? (And yes, curse words can be wonderful expressions—they are a part of my vocabulary and are used very well).   Disagreeing with someone does NOT a hater make.

In this photo taken May 20, 2015, Democratic Presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., poses for a portrait before an interview with The Associated Press in Washington. For Democrats who had hoped to lure Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren into a presidential campaign, independent Sen. Bernie Sanders might be the next best thing. Sanders, who is opening his official presidential campaign Tuesday in Burlington, Vermont, aims to ignite a grassroots fire among left-leaning Democrats wary of Hillary Rodham Clinton. He is laying out an agenda in step with the party's progressive wing and compatible with Warren's platform _ reining in Wall Street banks, tackling college debt and creating a government-financed infrastructure jobs program. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Bernie. I love you. I want either you or Ms. Clinton to be our next President of these United States. However, I don’t think your views on gun control are strong enough. That does NOT make me a hater! It makes me a “liker” of you but a “disagreer” of gun laws.

If you have a Facebook account, you will know what I’m talking about.  Lots of newspapers, TV stations, magazines all have FB pages. They publish articles about politics, religion, guns, entertainment—and the comment sections are  always a better  and more entertaining read.  The most popular and overused word is “hater”.

Someone doesn’t like a pair of shoes. They are labeled a “hater”.

Via Spiga leather suede and patent flats about 49.00 on sale

Yo. Don’t you be hatin’ on my pointy, toe-cleavage bearing Via Spiga flats.  You a hater???

You don’t like jellybeans.  Oh. You hater, you!

JellyBellyPile

Let it be known.  I despise jellybeans because I don’t like the gummy texture or the flavors–but that doesn’t make me a hater! How could I hate  on a candy that is so colorful?

What’s that?  You would rather have a burger than a hot dog? OMG. You frankhatur!!!

hot dog

How miserable can one be to actually hate an innocent hot dog? I may dislike them if they aren’t dirty water dogs but I would never hate on a food item!

Did Taylor Swift start this hater trend with that hater song of hers?

My daughter warned me not to bring Tay-tay into this. Oh dammit–is Oona now a mom hater?

Prod_Tots

Hey. I don’t care for Tater Tots–does that make me a “tater hater”?

Words like hater are lazy vocabulary choices.  Can’t you just use your brain to think for a moment of a different and more creative word?  How about “misanthrope” or “skeptic” or “doubter”.  “Egoist” is a good word. It’s negative but not in such a harsh way. It’s kinder. How about just saying someone is a miserable or angry person instead?

Really. “Hate” is an incredibly serious word.  I hate Hitler, but that doesn’t make me a hater of the human race.  You could say that old Adolf was a true hater, but that is such a basic word to describe him.  He was demented, evil, masochistic, twisted and a truly sick bastard.  Don’t those words give a better visual of the kind of person he was rather than use “hater”?

923036-adolf-hitler

“Hater” is too subtle of a word for this demented sadistic  and truly evil bastard.  He deserves the strongest words possible to describe his heinous crimes and actions against humanity!

Look at Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. They spew hatred from every bone in their fake Christian bodies.  If you go on one of their fan-based Facebook pages, you will note that anyone who doesn’t agree with the conservative Gothard cult ideology they live by is labeled “hater”.  That alone proves to me that the Duggar fan base is uneducated, dumb as all get-out, pea-brained and lacks any form of intelligence.  Their vocabulary range is limited.

Haters

Here’s another group that needs words stronger than “hater” to describe what they are truly like.   Their smiles hide vengeance and hatred against anyone who does not share their ideologies.  I would use uneducated, miserable, dishonest, phoney, exploitative, narrow-minded, and angry morons to describe them. It’s more creative and more fun to come up with different ways to say how disgusting these people are!  And look at their idiot political hog friend!  What a crew!

I despise the Duggars. I truly hate their beliefs and I absolutely hate the way they hide behind my good friend, Hipster Jesus.  My other good friend, Satan, also hates the way the Duggars hide behind Hipster Jesus.   But that doesn’t make Satan and me haters—that’s so common!   I like to think of us a cynics!

Me Hipster Jesus and The Devil good vs. evil

Hipster Jesus is so nice he would never hate anyone or anything–but that doesn’t mean he won’t turn you away and send you to that little devil!  And just look at that smile on Satan–how could anyone call him a hater? He LOVES badass souls!  Look at me–stuck in the middle.   Do I have the face of a hater? I think not!

You know, language is a beautiful thing and so is using vocabulary in a creative way just as beautiful. Words are little gifts. They are gifts that we should use wisely.  We need to save the strong words for those emotional and passionate moments.  We need to be concise in using words.  We need to have fun with words.

And if you don’t agree with me then…you….are….a…hater!!!!!!  Fooled ya! You are just contrarian, confrontational, quarrelsome, snippy, volatile, combative, argumentative!

mlm-training-dealing-with-haters

I want to change the verbiage of this to “Keep Calm and Forget The WORD Haters”!

Think. Think of that overused word that you hear all the time. The one that drives you nuts. Let me know about it!  Let’s start thinking about better words to use—it’ll be a fun thing to do!  Word up!

Here’s an old Bee Gee’s song “Words”. It’s really pretty, beautiful, enchanting, melodic and sweet! XOXOXOXO!!!!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 23 Comments

The Temping Temptress is Back at Work! (For a While)

Hi everyone!  The past two weeks have found me as happy as a little, medium, big-ass clam.

toothy-smile-clipart-cartoon-clam-shell-mussel-happy-toothy-smile-isolated-white-seafood-design-39082309

That would be me. A happy little clam–only with more clothing and makeup!

I started a temp job as an administrative assistant.  Even though the position will terminate at month’s end, it has given me the boost of self-worth and confidence that I was losing. It is also bringing me back to a work environment that I hadn’t been a part of for years.

There is something glorious and wonderful about a corporate culture that exhibits respect, equality and kindness to its employees.  As an outsider, I get to observe—and I also get to be a participant. The bar is set high.

With two jobs that ended due to office closings and one job that was just a nightmarish blip in my career, my track record was a bit…unlucky!  And despite the fact I never found a job within the window of my 26 weeks of receiving unemployment benefits, I was able to keep my skills in order by starting the blog.

Actually, writing my blog keeps my sanity and engaging with friends who read my blog really keeps my sanity because of the wonderful encouragement and support I’ve received and continue to receive!

Anyway, enough about that because I want to talk more about this temp job.

After many interviews. And spending many hours being interviewed with the same questions and having to be “on” and all peppy and gung ho and having to squeeze my fat ass and thunder thighs into my J. Crew  skirts that are just a tad too tight from stress eating and shoving little mounds of Chapstick into my fine lines and wrinkles to blur my age because I cannot afford Botox or a face lift, only to be rejected, my confidence was shot. Yes. I was so far down in the dumps I had to look up to look under!

Some of the J. Crew and Factory skirts

With the help of shapewear, I’m able to squeeze just a bit more comfortably! My clothing is just as happy as I am!

Bonaparte and I decided that it was time to take a different career direction and I would do temp work.  By working as a temp, I would be earning enough money to contribute to the household, save for vacations and little weekend trips AND I could sock some money away for my coveted LV Neverfull bag!   (Hey—no matter what, I’m still deeply shallow!)

louis-vuitton-neverfull-mm-monogram-canvas-icons--M40995_PM2_Front view

The one thing I’m saving for–and I refuse to purchase a Michael Kors copy-cat version. Ugh! Only LV for moi!

OK—so wait. Here’s where it gets great.  Bonaparte went online and applied for a couple of temp positions for me.  I get a phone call from the HR department of a company that liked my resume.  We talk.   I am asked if I will be available for another phone interview. Naturally, I say “Of course!” Second interview goes fine.  At the end of the interview I ask what the next step will be.  I’m told that I have the job and HR will get back to me with an offer.

Offer made and accepted. Background check completed.  Drug testing done.

Fun at the Drug Test!  In case you didn’t read about my drug testing fun–have a read!

The job I ended up with was one where I didn’t spend three hours being bombarded with questions and pondering over how I handled a difficult situation with a coworker!  Go figure!

Waking up in the morning and having coffee while applying my makeup is a charm.  Deciding which outfit to wear is a choice that I find most lovely!

pollyanna

I’m no “Angel” of the morning, but I’m so like Pollyanna when it comes to being happy about what to wear!

My feet are so over-the-moon delighted to be in pointy-toed heels once again!

Slightly slutty shoes are great for dressing up a bit.

Fake tanned and toe-cleavage bearing pointy-toed shoes make my feet jump for joy! (Well, really not jump–my bladder can no longer handle jumping!)

The legs are shaved and fake tanned! The worst part about getting ready for work is plucking those surprising lady whiskers that seem to pop up overnight and covering my bald spots without looking Trumpesque!

donald-trump-hair-photos-mystery-transplant-combover_2014-09-14_21-59-27-573x430

Thank God for all the hair products I have to cover my bald spots without having to look like him!

Yes. I am looking every inch the “Temping Temptress!”

I play with the devil

I truly am happy to be back in an incredibly professional office! Yes. I’m the “Temping Temptress!”

I love the 20 minute commute. I love driving into the parking lot and walking into the office building.  I even love the dopey look on my face that the camera snapped when I had my security badge made!

Office exterior

Isn’t it a beautiful office?  I LOVE driving into this parking lot!

It is a pleasure to walk through the doors and greet the receptionist with a smile and a “Good morning!”

It’s even more of a pleasure to enter through the doors and make my way to my own (Ok…so it really belongs to the woman who’s place I’m taking until she returns next month) little cubicle. I love sitting down at the desk and turning the computer on and signing in for the day!

My little cubicle

I swear to you, this is my happy place. I am so damned grateful to at least have a temp job!

Pics of the kids

I’ve personalized my temporary space with a printout of the kids!

My electronic timesheet is my friend.  My office Skype is my favorite toy and I love sending little IM’s to the people I interact with.  I adore answering the phones for the execs and leaving messages for them on the little message pads.

message pad

I love filling these little pads out–I even have assorted colors. Assorted colors!!!!!!

I especially love restocking the little bistro area! It allows my OCD to shine.  I make sure all the Equal, Splenda and sugar packets all face the same direction.  I am careful in filling the little beverage packages into the cute little drawers.  Yes. I take pride in ANY task!

coffee

I’ve never even seen little packets like this. They are so cute and the chai is to die for!

Its fun to have unlimited amounts of warm and spicy chai!

Chai

The hot water is soooo hot that I have to double up on the cups!  But I get to drink Chai during the day and with the cooler weather, this is nirvana!

I get a thrill just organizing office supplies and cleaning and organizing the supply room.  It’s almost as therapeutic as ironing clothing!

med-office-supplies

Nothing says office is heaven than a well-organized supply room…and I’ve made the office supply room heavenly!

There is a very large comfort level in being a temp that I’ve never felt before. Perhaps it is because at the end of my gig, I can move onto another office and observe a different environment.  Or maybe it’s because as a temp, nobody expects too much for me—so any time I offer to assist, it can be a welcoming change. Whatever the case, I am so happy because this job has given my self-esteem a well-needed boost.

I now know that I am a great fit for an incredibly professional office.  I’ve been validated in realizing that by being proactive and assertive, I’m respected and appreciated.

Hey. I even started my Christmas shopping during my lunch hours. How great is that?

temping temptress 025

That’s right! Yesterday during lunch I started Christmas shopping. Can’t tell you what’s in here–gotta wait till December 25th! 

Here’s a work song that I’m sure you haven’t heard in a while, because I haven’t heard it in ages! Whenever I hear it, I’m reminded of my days on the Long Island Railroad with my girlfriend, Joanne—we both worked in New York City and were living at home!  Bachman, Turner, Overdrive—”TCB-Taking Care of Business” Watch out! XOXOXOXOXO!!!

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A Revisit “Atypical 60’s Open Letter To Society” Our Gun Laws Need to be Changed!

Hey all, I’ve lost something and I’m looking to find it. It’s my sense of humor! I’ve looked under the bed. And under the sofas. And in the garage. And in all the cabinets and the pantry. And in the backyard. It’s slowly coming back but I need a break to really hone in on it.

And YES. I’m reglogging THIS for the second time. I think some bastid with a gun shot my sense of humor with his or her sawed off rifle or with a Saturday Night Special. Either way, I gots ta heal before I can crack a funny…and this gun crap is no laughing matter. If you can, feel free to share, yet again. The gun violence in our country is just not ending!

XOXOXO!!!

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My Dinner With Bonaparte. 10.3.2015

Autumn. Saturday.  Damp. Cold. The darkness sidles in earlier and earlier.  I’m on the sofa being lazy, as usual, with a blanket wrapped around me.

Blanket

The weather actually hit a temperature so low that I could wrap myself in a blanket. Bonaparte was ready to put the heat on, but this princess of hot flashes told him to put a sweater on instead!

It’s that time of year when I return to making Bonaparte a truly happy man. The weekend French dinner!  It’s what Bonaparte looks forward to.  It’s what he loves.  It’s how he enjoys his Saturday evenings sitting around the table and remembering long dinners of France past.

getting the dining room back.

The table will no longer be this bare. Time to review my tablecloths and settings!

It’s what helped me to gain unwanted pounds.

La Grande Bouffe

Well, I dunno if that pic should be replaced with profiles of me and Bonaparte, but if you are looking for a really fun and somewhat tragic film–you HAVE to see this! Our feasts aren’t as large!

He picked out a recipe from his my favorite French Cookbook.

French cookbooks

My favorite–back right. “French” by Carole Clements & Elizabeth Wolf-Cohen. Rachel Khoo’s “Little French Kitchen” is another very good book.  Truth be told, I’m not a fan of Julia Child’s books. I DO use this book for sauces though. Nothing else.  Ginette Mathiot’s “I Know How To Cook” is a great reference guide–the French version of “Joy of Cooking”, if you will!

Speaking of not being a fan of Julia Child. Here’s a late entry to today’s post.  A video by Cecile Delarue, the author of “The Everything Easy French Cookbook” another book that I have, that I’ve also mentioned in past posts, that has excellent home style recipes.  Here’s her video for genuine Salade Nicoise.  Enjoy–and pay attention to the recipe!

The recipe was Faisan a la Normande, Pheasant Breast with Apples.  I changed it up a bit because pheasant is nearly impossible to come by in this area of the Philadelphia suburbs. So I went with chicken breasts.

Recipe for Pheasant

This is an excellent and hearty dish. Pheasant has a tendancy to be dry and is difficult to come by where I live. But–organic chicken breasts are moist and are an excellent substitute!

Back to the French dinner. Had I never met Bonaparte, I would have never acquired cool dining accoutrements.  I mean, really, a tiny fork for pulling a snail out of a shell?  It’s almost akin to picking your nose!  I could honestly yank that little snail out with my pinky and thumb or  with a toothpick.  But having these little forks is fun. It’s so much classier than the way I grew up dining!

Appetizer pics.

I like using these smaller forks to grab the snails out of the shells. These are also excellent for little appetizers. They really fancy and classy things up!

Same thing with the escargot plates.  I get why the little indented half-spheres are there. So you can soak up the garlicky, buttery, flavorful juices with your little piece of baguette. Which, BTW, is an actual diet aid.  Only the tiniest piece of bread will fit into those little indented wells. Another reason the French are leaner than we Americans are.

Escargot plate and acoutroment

See that little snail tong on the bottom? I STILL have issues with these things. It’s easier for me to just pick up the shell with my hands. With all due respect to Bonaparte, I only use the tongs when we are in France.  I would never want to embarrass him in front of his family. (shhhh..I really don’t think they care…..)

This asparagus plate would have gone home from the Junior League thrift shop with someone else—as would my favored tureen.

I picked both items up at the Junior League thrift shop for pennies.  I love making little asparagus appetizers and placing them on that cute plate.  Even more, a hearty beouf bourguignon served in that white tureen is even prettier!

Cheese knife set

If I hadn’t met Bonaparte, do you honestly think I would own a proper cheese knife set? Hell no!  I would just use a regular butter knife and a spatula!

I did much of the prep work beforehand.  I cut and par boiled the potatoes, pounded the chicken, and caramelized the onion and apples.  Doing all this really takes a load off if the timing of the dinner is important.

calvados

I also added a bit more Calvados than called for in the recipe. The Calvados gives such a great flavor!

Diced potatoes in butter

A bit of smoky paprika also adds some depth to the potatoes.  I KNOW, there’s an awful lot of butter in there. It’s once a week–OK? Don’t judge!

Chicken sauteeing

Pounding the chicken breasts down really thinly makes the cooking time go so much faster. Once the prep work is done, the cooking takes almost no time!

Prep work done, I am able to enjoy our first little course of an aperitif and amuse bouche, that little tease before dinner.

kir-royale

I feel like a lush, but I really DO look forward to a couple of these on a Saturday evening before dinner. Creme de Cassis and Champagne–who wouldn’t love that?

That done, we sat down to our entrée of escargot.

Escargot

Tasty earthy little morsels of goodness! Sometimes my GERD acts up so I make sure to chase with a few Rolaids!

And NO I did NOT make these little snails myself.  That’s right. I cheated! I used Wegmans.  They may not be the best—they lack the saltiness that I love so much. But, they are garlicky, buttery and taste decent.  Trust me; a cheat every now and then isn’t a culinary sin!

Weg's escargot

These really are not bad at all.  If you see them in Wegmans, pick up a box. You will thank me later when you have dinner guests and forgot to make an extra food purchase!

We feasted upon the chicken breasts, prepared in all the Calvados, apple and cream glory! I could feel my pants getting tighter with each savory bite!

Chicken

Hey. I’m not a food stylist so it doesn’t look perfect, but this dish was fantastic!

More wine.

Margaux 2005.

Bonaparte has plenty of this Margaux 2005. It goes so well with those hearty cold-weather dishes. 

I’m so glad Bonaparte loves me.  He shows it through his actions.  He decided to forego the cheese because I begged  him to cut down a bit on the rich foods.   I really need to drop 20 and squeeze properly fit back into my size 8’s.

Instead, he finished the meal with this cherry clafoutis that I made.  No. He really DID finish the meal. He ate the entire clafoutis.  I’m not kidding. He finished the entire dessert.  Nothing says love more than that. He made sure I couldn’t get any of it so he ate it!

Basically a cakey custard, clafoutis can be made with other fruits but Bonaparte loves those cherries.  A heavy dusting of confectioner’s sugars gives it the sweetness against the tart cherries!

Ahh—my Frenchman is so gallant!

Seriously though, one of the reasons I do welcome the cold weather is because it’s so enjoyable to cook great hearty meals.

We get to sit at our dining room table again. As much as I love dining al fresco on the deck in the warm weather, I love the warm and toasty of long meals at the dining room table. And—I get to dress the table as well.

French homestyle cooking isn’t difficult. With the right recipe, whether from a book or online, you can make a stupendous dinner that will impress.

Take a look at this blog post from  A Frog At Large. Blog Post–How To Cook Like The French

She thinks along the same lines of  French cooking as I do—but she likes Julia Child a lot more!

Point is, special meals are meant to enjoy and savor.  Food is one of life’s joys!  Joie de vivre!

CIMG0251

Well…besides a great meal, taking time to enjoy a little stroll through Place Dauphine and….

Paris. Galeries Lafayette. Repetto Display. My kind of place

a bevy of Repetto ballet flats to chose from are also great examples of joie de vivre!

It’s difficult during the week due to work and other obligations. But, once a week—preferably on a weekend evening, there is nothing better than spending the time with loved ones and conversing and laughing and debating over a long meal.  It is one of the things that make life worth living to the fullest!

Since I’m on a roll with the French—here’s one of my favorite upbeat songs from Michel Delpech.  “Pour un flirt”. The video is so early ’70’s but the song is tres mignon—so cute! An added bonus—these songs make learning the French language easier! XOXOXOXO!!!

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Sorting My Travels in France. Ugh. Classifying and Renaming Photos.

Since the weather still remains so awful  and Bonaparte is watching soccer, I’ve decided to start  organizing my old pics of travels in France.  To put it mildly–this is a pain in the ass! I’m talking years of procrastination.

In addition, my photography skills most likely have Bonaparte’s grandfather, J. H. Lartigue, rolling around in his grave.

Lartigue book cover

Bonaparte picked this book up at an exhibit we attended over the summer. His grandfather’s photos were showcased!

  Lartigue was an incredible and well-known photographer. We’re lucky to have some of his photos hanging in the house.

Dany and Vincent

This photo taken by Bonaparte’s grandfather was used as an ad for TWA.  The baby is Bonaparte–his dad, Dany is holding him.  Notice that I snapped the photo of this photo and my skills basically suck!

But enough about him. Let’s talk about me and my less-than-stellar attempts at photography! Out of sheer boredom and narcissistic behavior.  I’m going to share a tiny bit of my talent with you.  So come with me–and get a glimpse into the artsy photos that I take when I”m in France:

France. GDG First stop after picking up baggage!

This is a very important photo for me. It’s the first stop I make when I arrive in France. After collecting our baggage and going through customs or wherever it is to get my passport stamped, I make a beeline for coffee. This place has the best coffee–and I was majorly pissed this summer because CDG is going through construction and I didn’t have access to this stand. I had to get some other kind of coffee and it ruined my routine. 

Paris. Daniele's apartment view of the loft.

Ahhhh. Home–well, our home in Paris. We get the top floor loft area of  Aunt Bonaparte’s.  

Paris. Daniele's apt. another view of the eiffel.

Look! It’s the Eiffel Tower peeking out from the roofs. This is from Aunt Bonaparte’s window in the salon.

Paris. View from Daniele's window

I’m a voyeur. I snapped this pic of construction workers. They added another floor to the building across the way.

Paris. Citron Presse.

Alright. After too much wine the night before, I always treat myself to a nice Citron Presse–God only knows how many of THESE I’ve had over the years. Probably enough to fill a grove of lemon trees!

Paris. Lovelocks

Being a true hypocrite, I got really upset about these love locks–but I made sure to take a pic before they were all taken off the bridges!

Paris. reflection on shoes.

My little ballet flats long to be in those beautiful shoes in the window!

Paris. Russian stack dolls.

Russian painted stack dolls in an antiquities shop along Rue Bonaparte. YES! Rue Bonaparte!

Paris. Signs. Sign on street for exhibit at Vincent's family's gallery.

While out and about and wandering around aimlessly, I found this poster for an exhibit at Bonaparte’s family’s gallery.  This was pretty recent–two years ago!

Paris. toyshop window

Paris has the coolest toys for kids. I would definitely wear that clown hat! This was a toy store window on…I’m pretty sure on  Rue Dauphine.

Paris. Sign. Place Dauphine

Only I would take a photo of a sign in my favorite square. Place Dauphine. I have no idea when I took this….

Paris. Sign. City Pharma. Best beauty shop ever!

Some women make sure to shop at Chanel and Louis Vuitton. Screw that. MY favorite shop to hang out in is City Pharma on Rue du Four. This pharmacie has the best prices on all things beauty and skin related. It’s the greatest place to load up on products!

Paris. Arche de Triomphe with flag.

This is one of my favorite shots that I took. But I can’t remember when I took it.

Theoule. Geant. Long shot

OK. Now we’re on the Cote d’Azur.  First stop. Geant hypermarche to load up on groceries…

Theoule. Geant. My favorite Creme de Cassis

Geant has so many yummy beverages. We load up on this for our Kir Royale consumption…

Theoule. Geant. Poisson. fresh.

Yummy fresh fish. I practically OD on Lotte here…..

Theoule. Geant. Cold Cereal. 2

Since when do the French eat sugary, processed cereal? Oh..it must be geared toward the summer tourists!

Theoule. Geant. Vincent picking out meat.

Bonaparte is picking out beoufsteak for dinner!

Theoule. Front Door of our apartment

Back to the apartment in Theoule..

St. Trop. Nice view of homes from the boat.

Off to St. Tropez. It took me forever to get photos without those massive yachts ruining the moment!

St. Trop. BB's home.

Bardot’s home. She didn’t invite us over. Actually, this is the closest I’ll ever be to her home!

St. Trop. really nice view.

Another nice view of St. Tropez. 

St. Trop. Signs. La Maison des Papillons Musee sign.

Bonaparte’s dad’s museum

St. Trop. Vincent and Dany in dany's old studio

Bonaparte and his dad. Isn’t his dad adorable?

St. Trop. Narrow pathway with houses.

Cute little alleyway

t.St. Trop. Signs Ines de la Fressange's shop

Ines de la Fressange also has a shop in St. Tropez. I need to add her to my “French Personalities I Stalk” listing!

Guess what

The “Bubble House” across from where our apartment is.  I am obsessed with this house.

Cabris. Narrow street.

Street in Cabris…Cabris. My annual photo of St. Rita.

another one of my obsessions. Every year I take a pic of this statue of St. Rita. Every year I light a candle in the little chapel in Cabris that houses this statue..

Cabris. Sign. Directions.

Direction signs are another one of my obsessions

Cabris. Tow away sign

You certainly don’t need words to understand THIS message

Cabris. House entrance with fountain outside

How cute is the entrance to this house?

Antibes. Car driving down narrow street.

Uh oh! Now you get a better understanding of why Bonaparte doesn’t want me driving in France. Antibes has the narrowest streets–but look how pretty the flowers are!

Antibes. Begining of the ramparts walk

Antibes..the start of the walk along the ramparts..

Antibes. Homes along the ramparts

..where we pass these homes that I would love to make mine…

Antibes. Picasso musee. Guitars.

Guitars at the Musee Picasso.  The museum was “meh”–I’m not a big fan of Picasso. Don’t judge!

Chartres. Cathederal 2

We took a little drive from Paris to Chartres. The Cathedral is magnificent

Chartres. Cathederal detail 3

Some of the detail at the Cathedral. I should be so thin..

I’m also obsessed with iconic statues in old cathedrals. Mostly for the sake of the art work..look at the faces!  Look how blank St. Theresa stares. Look how sad Jesus is. I think he’s sad because he foresees society going down the toilet!

Chartres. Little toy car in ville

I love this little red wagon. It’s so random!

CIMG1641

Another drive from Paris. This time to Chambord. Overcast days are the best for these little day trips–I think it is time for a revisit. I LOVED this chateau!

after effects of hunting at Chambord

I want these for my home. Seriously. If I could figure a way to steal these without getting caught, I would do it! They would look great in our living room!

Looking at the Sun in Chambord

Look. A flicker of natural light. This was taken in Chambord but I cannot remember where the hell in the chateau this was taken from. I DO remember having to hold onto the bannister as I walked down stairs because I’m clumsy.

Chambord 2

Some detailing from Chambord..

Nostalgie Radio. My fave!

Oh..and lastly, I took a photo of my favorite radio station. Nostalgie.  I took it so I wouldn’t forget the number of the station. This way I can just set the car to 93.5. Smart–huh?

OK. That’s it for now. I’m tired and going to start making a clafoutis for dessert this evening.  Hope I didn’t bore you too much!

Have a listen to one of my favorite French songs–“Mistral Gagnant” by Renaud. It’s dramatic and nice! XOXOXOXO!!!

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Rhythm And Sounds Good To Me!

Rain. Rain.  More rain.  After the frustration of having my hair colored and blown out yesterday, which was an incredibly monsoonesque day, Bonaparte insisted we go food shopping…together!

There was no way I was going to ruin this color and blow out that Bonaparte paid for!  Hooded jacket and an umbrella for extra protection we ventured out.

Blow out.

My apologies for no makeup but this is how I woke up. I am NOT ruining this blow out –not even today. It is STILL raining!

But you know how one thing leads to another….

While in the car, I was mesmerized.  Almost hypnotized by the rhythmic sound of the wipers flushing the rain away from the car’s windshield.  I love that sound. It gives me a certain comfort and brings me back to those days of being able to ride in the front passenger seat with my dad.  Rainy days have that effect on me.

Wipers against the rain

Thank God I wasn’t driving. I would have fallen asleep from the soothing sounds of the windshield wipers swishing the rain away! I’m not kidding. That sound puts me to sleep. Note to anyone reading this. Stay off the road when I’m driving in the rain!

Then I started thinking about the other sounds that I love. For instance,

I love the sound of plastic jewelry clicking against each other.

Iris Apfel gewelry

Huffington Post has this great pics of Apfel and her clickety-clackity costume jewelry.   I wouldn’t wear these myself, but I love the way they look on her and I love the sound!!

Did you see the documentary about Iris Apfel, the cool  94-year old fashion stylist?   It’s on Netflix—and entitled “Iris”. I kept repeating the very beginning of the movie because I could not get enough of the sound of her jewelry clicking together!

At the very beginning of the trailer, you can hear a mega-second of clacking jewelry!

I am extremely comforted by the sounds of the sirens when I’m in France—they have a better rhythm and cadence than the sound of the sirens here in the States:

My friend Becky and I always replicate this sound whenever we talk about Paris! People stop and stare at us–and not in a good way!

French police car

Yes. I love the sound of the little sirens from these cars!

Oh…and I’m one of those people who are incredibly fond of the sound of cracking and popping gum.

gum popping

Oops! I AM that person who chews gum like a cow. Just ask Oona–she HATES being near me when I chew gum!

Weird—but so very true. I’m so jealous of the women who can crack gum. Lord knows I’ve tried, but I’m an epic fail at it. I’m lucky I can blow and pop bubbles with my Bazooka!

Bazooka

Best. Gum. Ever!

The sound of the rhythm of the water gently hitting the shore is another sound I find incredibly calming.

laiguille-morning-at-the-beach

L’Aiguille beach in Theoule. When it’s early morning and nobody has arrived yet, the only sound you can hear are the sounds of the tiny little waves hitting the shore and the rocking of the boats. It’s a great  rhythmic sound!

The sounds of long fingernails against a keyboard are also nice to me. I think that’s because growing up, one of my BFF’s, Pam, played piano. And she had long nails and the sound they made against the piano keys was very pleasant to me.

tappping fingernails

Well, it may not be a piano, but the sound of fingernails against ANY key board is pleasant!

I miss the rhythmic sounds of Oona’s hard shoes hitting the floor whenever she did a heavy jig, hornpipe or one of her sets.

Oona's hardshoes 2

I still have Oona’s hard shoes–and looking at the shape of these worn-in hard shoes are an indication of  how much she used these!

I could listen to her perfect timing all day—and sometimes I did when we were at competitions!

I don’t have any videos of Oona, but here’s a really, really old (you can tell by the dress) video of Riverdance’s Bernadette Flynn with Tony Lunden doing a treble reel. I cannot get enough of that heavy shoe sound. You can close your eyes and still hear the rhythm!

I could go on and on about sounds and rhythm—but I’ll spare you.

That’s maybe why I like cooking so much.  The sounds of food cooking is such a sensual thing.  Last night I threw together what I deemed an Alsatian dish for Bonaparte.  Raining. Damp.  He wanted something comforting. So I took red onions, peeled and caramelized them.  I love the sound of the onions hitting the heat.

The sound of cooking 1

I love the sound of the onions hitting that heat!

Then I cooked up a few slices of bacon. The sound of bacon sizzling is music to my ears—and that smokey scent is just wonderful.

The sound of bacon sizzling on the burner

Can you just hear that sizzle? Oh..and I used the bacon grease to cook up the rest of the mix! Bacon grease rules!

I peeled and cut apples to add to the mix. And I love the sound of crunchy apples!

The crunch of an apple

Cutting into the apples produces that great first crunch! 

Listened to the symphony they played as they blended together.

Added sauerkraut and some store bought kielbasa.  Bonaparte was happy!  Plenty left over for him to enjoy during the week.

Sausage and sauerkraut.

It isn’t the prettiest dish, but the flavors of the sausage, the tartness of the sauerkraut and the sweetness of the apples and caramelized onions, along with the smokey bacon gives off a great and flavorful meal!

Sounds good to me!  How about you?

Since I’m talking sounds and rhythm.  Here are some great, great rhythmic sounds. Stomp Out Loud!!!!

I’m going to make a feeble attempt to classify some travel pics today. While it’s raining, I can be productive!  Enjoy the weekend!

XOXOXOXOX!!

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A Revisit “Atypical 60’s Open Letter To Society” Our Gun Laws Need to be Changed!

America. I do love her, but she’s GOT to wake up! YESTERDAY!

Sure, we have our freedom and we are lucky suns of bitches to have that.  Unfortunately, we have TOO much freedom when it comes to the right to bear arms.

Stars and stripes on gun

Stars and stripes on gun via Getty Images

Is THIS the new logo for the USA???

Ten innocent people were murdered at a college in Oregon.  It was over two issues. The first being religion.   If the emphasis was not so much on religion, both in this country and in other countries, this mass-murder would have never happened.

I’m tired of extremists.  I’m tired of ALL religious extremists–from Muslim to Catholic.  From Evangelical to Jewish.  Religious ideologies start wars. And for what???????

Don’t even get me started…..It’s time to revisit my  Open Letter to Society.

Here it is. I’m not too proud to beg–and I beg you to share this.  Every day our society is one step closer to being completely flushed down the toilet and I’m tired and fed up.

We now have home-grown terrorists.  We are no longer safe going into a mall, or a fast-food joint, or a beauty salon, or ANY school, or any corporation.  It is vile and disgusting and our  TIGHTY RIGHTY POLITICIANS ARE SLEEPING WITH THE NRA!   I have nothing more to say except:

Hi Society,

Or should I say “High” Society? Seriously society, what the hell has happened to you?  I mean, you used to be so classy and proper and cultured and intellectual!

Baby, you used to care. You had high standards! You used to be somebodies!  You used to be contenders. Now you are all but washed up. And you did it to yourself.

Maybe 60 years isn’t very long to be on this earth to give you some constructive criticism, but I’ve seen so many changes in you.  Trust me, the good changes are few and the not-so-good changes are plenty.  I need to understand. I need you to explain.

Society. I need you to examine your conscience.

There was a time when you were a better people. I remember it well.  I can remember being a child and going shopping or out and about or visiting others in the company of my parents.  Before making sure I was neatly dressed, I would be reminded on how to behave in public.  This was a time when people smiled at each other. Men would give a tip of their hats.  Women would smile and give a polite little wave.  People acknowledged each other. People actually liked each other and enjoyed each other’s company.

People don’t acknowledge any more. They either ignore or text. Or eye roll.  What happened to conversation?

Society, you used to be very aware of what was going on in the world! As young students, we had to watch the news each night because we never knew when we would be “pop” quizzed on current events.  The nightly news on TV reported the news and told it like it was. There was no pandering or dumbing down.  We saw hard footage of the troops in Vietnam. We saw protests.  The news was delivered by serious and real hard-news journalists like Walter Cronkite and Chet Huntley and David Brinkley.

Now we have “fun” news.  Politically correct newscasts with a various number of “friendly” anchors who are botoxed, hair extensioned, toothy veneered and smile and laugh through even the most dismal of news.  Oh…and Society, since when is your idea of “World News” only news that is contained within the borders of these 50 States? There’s a whole ‘nother world to report about. Stop looking at your belly button. Why does every news show have to end with a touchy-feely human interest story? That isn’t news!!!!! Go back to news reports the way they should be!

Hey, Society—here’s a good one.  Do you remember engaging in real conversation? Well, I’ll tell you, I can remember those days.  You were fantastic at both small talk and intense debate.  You could show your charming side by talking so eloquently about the weather, and then change gears to flow into an intense and intellectual debate about the Vietnam War, hippies, or the housing issues in major cities!

Instead these days you engage in shaming and hating over the internet. Fat shaming. Ugly shaming. Gay hating. Trans hating. Black hating. White hating. Yellow hating. Magenta hating. Blue hating. Candy Corn hating.  You don’t come out from hiding behind your computers or phones. Oh you faceless bullies—aww you make me so scared.

There was a time, Society, when you would love to read a book.  Libraries were popular in the not-all-that-distant past.  There was something special about perusing through the shelves of books. Those shiny plastic covers that the Library books were clothed in made them sparkle in the fluorescent light of the building.  Opened books gave away their age, not by the copyright date, but by the distinct scent of the binding—sometimes a bit musty, but nevertheless enticing. Books were food—food for the brain. Growing up, going to the library was practically a social event.  Friends would meet to do homework.  People would become frustrated if they had to be placed on a waiting list for that new novel.  Some seeked solace from their noisy families.

Society. When was the last time you applied for a library card?

Society, there was a time when your politicians were a bi-partisan bunch.  Politicians may have not agreed on everything, but they all had a clear and concise vision of what was needed for the American people. They didn’t have a personal agenda. They weren’t sleeping with insurance companies and lobbyists. They were not filled with hatred.  They respected.  They were passionate.  They wanted to help.

Instead, now we have a bunch of politicians who are filled with the vilest of hate and bigotry. They don’t accept differences in people nor do they accept different lifestyles or ideologies.   Today’s politicians want to bully women.  These men have already started their policies to lower funding to Planned Parenthood because they want control over women.   NO MAN EVER HAS THE RIGHT TO TELL A WOMAN WHAT TO DO WITH HER BODY. PERIOD!  Listen to me Society.  I’ll show these bozos what Planned Parenthood is. I’ll castrate those men. THEN we’ll give you, Society, new meaning to Planned Parenthood!

Society—can you answer me this.  When did God join the presidential race? I mean, I remember when there was an exact boundary line between Church and State.  All the politicians today are speaking about bringing God into politics.

Hey. What about the people in our good country who are not of the Christian ideology? What about Jews? They don’t count?  What about Muslims (and no. Not all Muslims are terrorists) or Hindus, Taoists, Sikhs, Shintos, Buddhists and Atheists?  What about them? They vote. They pay taxes.

My God, and his cute son, Hipster Jesus, have too fucking much on their plates to worry about the politics of this country. Let God do his damn job without having to be involved in your politics.  He wants nothing to do with it. He told me so!

Hey, Society. Do you remember when celebrities were talented actors or singers or all-around entertainers?  These were people who could do everything.  The days of TV may have been younger, but programming was far superior. Variety shows showcasing these talents of the many versatile stars ruled.  We watched well-written drama and westerns.  We had smart comedy.  “Reality” TV consisted of quiz shows like “What’s My Line” or “I’ve Got a Secret.” I remember when Broadway was “The Theatre“..and not a bunch of rehashed Disney films set to a stage production.

These days you have turned network TV into a garbage bin of infantile comedies featuring annoyingly precocious children who turn adults into idiotic buffoons.  Less time is spent watching the show and more time is spent viewing the five-minute commercials about various prescription drugs.  Those commercials cover every nuance of the drugs because people can no longer afford to visit their doctors—the co-pay is too expensive. The commercials do the job instead. That is pitiful. I would rather see a commercial for laundry detergent or perhaps watch The Marlboro Man take someone’s gun away from them.

Society—do you not know the meaning of talent?  You have a reality star that has become a super celebrity all because she made a sex tape and went pee-pee on her man.  Yes. She is now a gazillionaire because of sex and pee-pee. But yet, a woman who breastfeeds her child in public is considered a filthy pig by some.  Am I missing something here? I’m not processing!

Society you are making people who refuse to do their job famous!  We have, in one corner a government clerk who refuses to administer a marriage license because of her “Christian” beliefs. On the other end of the spectrum, we have a flight attendant who converted to a “Non-Christian” ideology and she refused to serve alcohol to a passenger on a flight.  Don’t make these people famous. JUST FIRE THEM! End of story. Over and out! Grow some balls and stop being politically correct!

You were once gentle, my dear Society.  Guns used to be something that only the military and police officers used.  Oh. The hunters had their ammunition too. And others acquired licenses to carry. But, where you were once gentle, your dark side took over and now gun violence seems to be the norm.  Society, you believe we all have the right to bear arms because “guns don’t kill”. Well, you’re right. Guns alone, sitting on a shelf, without bullets, don’t kill. Put some bullets in that gun, hand it to an overemotional person filled with rage and anger  and that gun is gonna murder.  How about we arm everyone with water pistols as a better solution? You’ll still be able to bear arms, only those arms are going to spit water and not bullets!

Society, you need to change your ways.  You believe we need to be the world’s leader? I think you are incorrect my dear. We definitely need a leader—but your arrogance in stating we need to be the world leader is way off.

I’ll tell you why.

How can you, Society, be a world leader when you cannot even provide your citizens with the proper healthcare? How can you be a world leader when the entitled one percent of this country, evades paying the maximum amount of taxes when a lowly paid clerk ends up paying 30 percent of their wages to your government?  How can you be a world leader when you allow the banks to rob people with high percentage rates—and those very banks sit on their monies collected?  Remember, the banks caused our economic demise just a few years back—and not a one paid for it.  How can you be a world leader when our public education system is inferior?  Society, you cut funds for the arts in school. You cut the funds for the space program. These are important programs. Important to not only our society, but our global society.

How can you be a world leader when we have Americans who ARE refugees? Refugees in our own country who go ignored. They are the homeless. They are the un and under employed. They are without health insurance.  They are without education.  So Society, I say to your do-gooders, take a look in your own backyard. Charity begins at home!

Please, Society, don’t be alarmed at what I write. You don’t notice how your personality has changed. You don’t realize you were once a strong, feisty, intelligent, talented people. You’ve regressed.

It isn’t too late.   I still have hope.  Just return to being caring, and genteel. Realize that others are not the same as you. Realize that hate can be cured without going to war.  Realize that our world is smaller and we need world leaders. Not a world leader!

Realize that you have a country full of beautiful people. That beautiful group is the middle-class. They are all but extinct.  And it’s time to bring them back and become the true Society you once were.

Peace,

Atypical60 aka Catherine

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